A cluster of generals, vice-commanders, and strategists gathered around the sand table, heads bowed in concentration as they discussed tactics. Yet, after a long session of analysis, none could produce a method that would swiftly defeat Pugan.
General Wei Yuan furrowed his brow, eyes locked on the sand table. After a prolonged silence, he suddenly smacked his forehead.
"Your Highness, have you thought of a sound strategy?"
Her Highness, the Crown Princess?
The generals of Ningzhou had yet to witness Yun Shu's famed military brilliance, and all turned toward her with visible surprise.
Yun Shu remained calm. Without hesitation, she picked up the flag representing the Ningzhou forces and planted it firmly on a certain location on the sand table.
"Just hold this position."
General Wei Yuan blinked. "Your Highness means… a defensive stance?"
What kind of tactic was that?
He hesitated before continuing. "Do you intend for us to feign defense and lure the enemy in, only to then launch a surprise counterattack?"
"No," Yun Shu replied, her tone grave and deliberate. She shook her head. "This Princess means to delay."
"Delay?" Several voices rang out at once.
Everyone knew that delaying was the one thing Tian Sheng could least afford right now.
One of the more hot-headed commanders could no longer restrain himself. "The entire premise of this Seven Kingdoms War is to drain and pressure Tian Sheng. If we keep delaying, are we not playing right into Pugan's hands?
Perhaps there may be fewer casualties in the short term, but the longer we drag this out, the more the tide will turn against us!"
"Then simply do not drag it out too long," Yun Shu replied with unhurried poise.
"I heard all your earlier analysis. Pugan's forces are strong. Without additional reinforcements arriving, our current numbers in Ningzhou are enough to win, yes, but the cost would be unbearable.
More importantly, such a battle would not end quickly.
So instead of paying that price, why not stall for a few days? If This Princess's plan progresses as intended, we may yet win this war with far less bloodshed."
"A new development?" someone asked.
What kind of development could tip the scales so dramatically?
"That remains classified," Yun Shu said coolly, lifting her brow. "Whether it succeeds or not, you will know in a few days."
"But…"
Wouldn't a few days' delay only increase their risk?
What if this so-called new development failed? What then?
The commander of Ningzhou opened his mouth to press further, but General Wei Yuan had already nodded without hesitation.
"In that case, we will hold our ground for now."
The Ningzhou commander could hardly believe his ears. What on earth had the Crown Princess done to this old warhorse of a general?
She offered no details, no plan, just a vague promise to "wait and see"—and yet, Wei Yuan agreed without protest?
"We must trust in Her Highness, the Crown Princess," General Wei Yuan said solemnly, as though sensing the doubts in his colleague. He clapped the man's shoulder firmly.
"Do you know why we won so easily at Yongzhou?
It was all thanks to Her Highness leading a team to develop gliders, allowing our soldiers to fly over the Annan troops and land directly in the mountain forests!"
The Ningzhou commander stared blankly. "Fly?"
Were they still speaking the same language?
Every word on its own made sense, but strung together, they formed a sentence so absurd it might as well have been a myth.
"You all carry on the discussion," Yun Shu said casually.
She had a feeling that if she stayed, General Wei Yuan would begin singing her praises again, likely with even more exaggerated tales. Shameless as she could be, even Yun Shu was starting to feel awkward listening to such flattery in person.
With a composed air, she rose to her feet.
"There are matters This Princess must contemplate further."
Whatever Wei Yuan said after she left that day, Yun Shu never found out.
But for the next few days, she felt distinctly uneasy. The Ningzhou commander and his officers kept looking at her as if she were some legendary idol brought to life.
It was… disconcerting.
She supposed this must be how crazed fans looked at their favorite celebrities in the modern era.
Had she ever been famous herself, perhaps she could bear it. But Yun Shu had never been a star, and that kind of worshipful attention made her want to hide.
So, for several days, she remained holed up in her tent, not taking even a single step outside unless absolutely necessary.
Fortunately, the siege of awkward admiration did not last much longer.
On the seventh day, as Yun Shu sat cross-legged reading a military classic, Ah Ku suddenly appeared in front of her with a quiet flicker of movement.
"Your Highness. Word has come from the mountains. The item you requested has been successfully completed."
"Already?" Yun Shu's eyes sparkled.
She tossed aside her book and leapt to her feet.
"This Princess will go see for myself."
Still brimming with excitement, Yun Shu strode out of her tent—only to run into General Wei Yuan, who had just arrived to speak with her.
She didn't break stride. Instead, she headed straight for her horse and vaulted into the saddle.
"General Lu, you've come at just the right time. If there is no urgent matter, why not ride out with This Palace?"
"Now?"
General Wei Yuan blinked, then quickly caught on. His expression lit up with anticipation.
"Has the new weapon been completed?"
"Whether it has or not, you will see soon enough."
Yun Shu shot him a playful glance over her shoulder.
"Coming or not?"
"Coming!"
Absolutely, without question!
In fact, he had come today precisely because the troops were growing weary after seven days of defensive battle. Morale was slipping among the ranks—after all, no one knew about the secret weapon Yun Shu had commissioned.
He had come to check on its progress, anxious for any good news.
Now that he knew it had been completed, he would be a fool not to go see it with his own eyes.
So eager was General Wei Yuan that he didn't even bother returning to his own camp to fetch his horse. He simply borrowed one from Yun Shu's stable and rode out with her.
They galloped for nearly half an hour before tethering their mounts at the foot of a mountain. After scaling a smaller ridge, they finally arrived at the hidden workshop where the weapon had been built.
As the pungent scent of gunpowder filled the air, General Wei Yuan's eyes narrowed in surprise.
"Did Your Highness have the craftsmen make fireworks here as well?"
"Fireworks?"
Yun Shu gave a quiet chuckle. When the craftsman who had successfully created the explosive was brought forward by the reserve Dragon Shadow Guard stationed here, she lifted her chin in greeting.
"Would you be so kind as to show our General Wei Yuan the latest iteration of your enhanced fireworks?"
"Of course, of course!"
Ironically, this particular craftsman had been the most skeptical at first. He had firmly believed fireworks could never be converted into weapons of war.
Even when they had gone to test the newest formula in a secluded ravine that morning, he had remained unimpressed.
After all, eight of the ten recipes given by Her Highness had already been tested, and none had shown any real promise.
He had assumed this ninth one would be no different—at best, it might shoot a slightly larger plume of sparks.
He had been so dismissive, in fact, that when the fuse was lit, he failed to move quickly enough and ended up tripping as he tried to run.
Fortunately, the dark guard assigned to protect them had reacted in time, grabbing him by the collar and dragging him to safety.